After our two days at Pawnee Lake, we headed down to Crater and Mirror Lake on our outbound leg.
But not too quickly – we ran across a group of moose on the leg from Pawnee to Cascade, and had a bit of a delay as a cow moose charged us while she was doing crazed loops looking for her calf. Scary stuff!
We spent quite a bit of time at Crater Lake hoping that the sun would shift just right for a great photo with all of the wildfire haze, but things never cleared up.
Our final night we pitched our tents next to the Cascade Creek falls and were lulled to sleep by the constant noise of the water crashing down the falls. Amazing that this is free!
An early morning from there, up and packed and down the trail to meet Colette at the Monarch Lake trailhead for our pickup.
The Audi seats never felt so luxurious before, and the 10,000 calorie lunch in Grand Lake just may have been the tastiest thing we all had ever eaten!
Taking The Shot
Shelby captures a shot of Lone Eagle Peak high above Mirror Lake.
The Pollinator
A bumblebee covered in yellow pollen.
Two Thumbs Up
Anybody who swims in 40 degree glacial lakes is obviously an idiot.
Creamy Falls
A long exposure of the Cascade Creek falls next to our campsite.
Patterns of Life
A gnarled tree root growing out of a massive lichen-covered boulder.
Crawling Along
We spent a lot of time climbing under, over, and around fallen trees along the Cascade Creek trail.
The Eyes Have It
Closeup on a butterfly along the Cascade Creek trail.
Reflection Time
Shelby and Tom have a time-out at Crater Lake.
The Peak
Looking up at Lone Eagle Peak from Mirror Lake.
Nerds Everywhere
A fellow can’t get a moment of peace and quiet without a nerd with a camera bothering them.
Cascade Creek Campsite
Our amazing campsite at Cascade Creek. The roar from the falls makes for good white noise while sleeping!
Mmmmm Oreos
Colette was thoughtful enough to think ahead and had Oreos waiting for Tom and Shelby in the car.
Best Burgers Ever
These massive burgers at the Roadhouse Bar and Grill in Grand Lake may be the tastiest things we’ve ever eaten!
Google Earth
A Google Earth visual of the hike out from Pawnee Lake, up to Crater Lake, then down to Cascade Creek and out to the Monarch trailhead.
